Penny Wong, the pride & the shame.

I don't often comment on the events of parliament house and the positions of political parties, however I feel that Penny Wong has earned an exception to that rule.

Penny has many things to be proud of, firstly she should be proud that the Australian people elected her to office, then, she should be proud of our country for progressing in thoughts, values and beliefs. It is these thoughts, values and belief that have enabled an openly-gay woman of asian heritage to hold such an important position.

Women in Australia were not eligible to vote until South Australia (a progressive colony) granted the right in 1894. Voting had been available to men (not of aboriginal heritage) since 1856. When Australia unified under federation, women across the nation were granted the right to vote in 1902. It isn't difficult to imagine that before 1894, there was a strong voice of opposition suggesting that voting rights were historically only for men, and that this should still be seen as a good idea. Many voices banded together to correct this imbalance.

The rights of women to vote at a federal level (as per the Franchise Act) would still not have allowed Penny to vote, Penny is of asian heritage, and as a non-white, would have been denied the right to vote. To correct this imbalance, people had to stand up and voice their opinions and make voting accessible to all.

These two barriers to Penny's rights seem daunting given what we are told about the Australian populous and thought of previous decades. Even in the late 1980s and early 1990s, my local community was convinced that the asian invasion was a fait accompli, that if we weren't prepared to fight for our country's way of life, we would be well-served learning to speak japanese. Equality based on gender is still an ongoing issue, but clearly Penny has been allowed to rise high, and indeed serves under our first female prime minister.

As if these two barriers isn't enough, Penny is a lesbian. Good on her we say, the "gay rights lobby" widely regarded as having started that fateful night June 28, 1969 means that Penny is free to live her life as she pleases without fear of arrest, without fear of discrimination in employment, free to love who she chooses to love, free to do many things.

One thing Penny can not do, is marry in the eyes of the law. Penny has stood with party policy and stated that marriage is between a man and a woman - always has been, historical values and all that. One wonders how Penny would react if someone who professed to speak for the nation told her that because she was not "white of skin" she would be limited in her rights, or if, when she rocked up to a polling booth, she was denied the right to vote because of her gender. If historical values had not changed, Penny would rock up to the polling booth, and be serving fine asian cuisine to the white, male voters who were the only people that mattered to the nation's forward momentum. No doubt, Penny would be barefoot and pregnant, and with the stereotypical aversion to eye-contact. Penny benefits from those who have gone before her, enabling her to vote and be open about her sexuality.

One thing Penny will not do, is stand up for the community she cannot help but be a part of, to say "this inequality must cease." Leading a crusade for change is difficult Penny, no-one doubts that, but to stand up on a pedestal that people have fought for you to be able to stand on and not be prepared to fight for a change which must happen is reprehensible.

Penny Wong - I can not, and will not vote for you, or for any party to which you belong.



(PS. As a post-script to all of this, when marriage is made available to all, I'm still not interested. I think the entire concept is outdated and foolish. A great reason for a party and to make your friends buy you gifts, and that's about it. Let's either make marriage for all, or abolish it all together. As for registering a same-sex partnership... registration is something you do for the dog, or the car - you take a ticket, wait for it to be called and then submit your paperwork, charming.)